Tired of the same old groupthink that consumes the fantasy baseball community? Same here. Opinions are what make sports conversations great. Having your opinions challenged forces you to take a step back and reevaluate how you feel about certain players. Adding to that thought, reading one article about a prospect or player should not be the only resource used to properly evaluate a player. That is the idea behind this article. Each member of the Pitcher List dynasty staff has a unique opinion. Why not create an article that provides two different breakdowns of the same players? This article looks at four different prospects that Martin Sekulski and I disagree on. We each try to convince you that our side is the right outlook to have.
Head over to the Pitcher List dynasty page to check out the rest of the great work the team has been producing, including write-ups on all 30 farm systems.
Jared Thomas – OF, Colorado Rockies
The Pro-Thomas Argument – Matt Heckman
The Rockies have drafted with a theme. Chase the tantalizing upside. In reality, the Rockies’ draft strategy is pretty similar to those in the fantasy community. Overlook the safe, the boring, the easy to project, and chase the “what if”. The “what if” has not really worked out for Colorado over the past several seasons.
Top draft picks like Benny Montgomery, Zac Veen, and others have failed to work at the major league level. However, that does not mean that all of their prospects are doomed. Hunter Goodman, Ezequiel Tovar, and Brenton Doyle have all flashed significant fantasy appeal over the past few seasons. Jared Thomas is going to be the next Rockies’ prospect to capture the hearts of dynasty managers.
Drafted in the second round of the 2024 draft, Jared Thomas has all of the tools that dynasty managers seek. In his final year at the University of Texas, Thomas hit .349 with 16 homers and 18 stolen bases. He wasted no time transitioning to professional baseball. In his first full season with the Rockies’ organization, Thomas hit .300 with 14 homers and 33 stolen bases. His athletic frame and projectable swing give him plenty of upside. Add in the fact that he projects to play his future home games in Coors Field, and you have a prospect that all dynasty managers should be after.
For some reason, many, including Martin, are not buying into the Jared Thomas hype. The primary argument against Thomas is his hit tool. After being promoted from High-A to Double-A, Thomas saw his strikeout rate jump up to 34.6%. While concerning, it is important to note that this was over a 45-game sample. While the small sample showing was not great, Thomas still showed an excellent ability to control the strike zone. He continued to walk over 13% of the time, which bodes well for creating a stable floor, especially in OBP leagues.
Thomas’ understanding of the strike zone also helps fuel his significant upside. An open stance and a big leg kick, Thomas’ swing drives the ball to his pull side. His 6’2″ frame creates natural raw power, while his swing and pull-side awareness create game power. His ability to limit his chase forces pitchers to come into the zone, where he can do damage.
There is 25/25 upside in his profile, which should have dynasty managers buying in. Thomas is not a perfect prospect, but you do not have to pay “perfect prospect” prices to acquire him. He has as much upside as nearly any prospect outside of the top 10 and deserves more recognition. Martin will likely point out the Rockies’ flawed player development and Thomas’ hit tool concerns. Even with these concerns, there is still a lot to like.
The Flip Side – Martin Sekulski
Admittedly, I was quite stunned when Matt wanted to bring up Thomas in discussions. But then I looked at the profile and saw Henry Bolte all over again, and remembered why Thomas would be a “Matt guy”. Thomas was a second-rounder from the University of Texas in 2024. In his initial jaunt into pro ball, he performed well in a very small sample following the Draft. As a result, the Rockies were aggressive with his 2025 assignment, shipping him to High-A, in hitter-friendly Spokane. The environment is also helpful for a player like Thomas, who sells out for power.
His first 73 games were spent at High-A, batting .330 with 11 homers and 22 steals. As expected, he had a .421 BABIP, but that came with a .165 ISO, which shows how much his environment aided his performance. His contact rate was around 74% overall, well below the MLB average. One positive was outstanding plate discipline, resulting in a 13.1% walk rate that held up throughout 2025.
Things were much different at Double-A Hartford, an environment that is not 2000+ feet above sea level. In 45 games for the Yard Goats, he slashed just .245/.347/.374 with three homers and a more realistic .129 ISO. His already marginal contact skills completely tanked, falling to an overall rate of below 67%. More experienced pitchers exposed his push for power, causing him to expand the zone more often, and his strikeout rate skyrocketed to well over 30%.
As Thomas enters his age-22 season, I have more questions than answers. First and foremost, will he make enough contact to be anything more than a fourth outfield type in the majors? We’ve already seen the contact rates plummet at Double-A, a level where the pitching still isn’t great. Also, how much power will he get to? Scouts hung a 50-grade power on the profile, which is average, but when you factor in the hit tool, that may be generous.
Half the battle with hitting for power is actually finding the barrel, something you’ll do far less with a 35% strikeout rate. There’s also a significant platoon risk, as the left-handed hitting outfielder had a .726 OPS against LHP with a 33.3% strikeout rate. We’ve seen Rockies’ prospects post monster numbers (even better than Thomas did) at High-A, only to fall off in the upper minors completely. I’m not positive that Thomas won’t be the next guy to do precisely that.
Kayson Cunningham – SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
The Pro-Cunningham Argument – Martin Sekulski
I guess my love for the Diamondbacks’ system is shining through, although my ranking of Kayson Cunningham is solely based on projection, the only way to evaluate a recent draftee. The 2025 first-rounder was the highest-rated player from the state of Texas and was the 18th overall pick this summer, receiving a nearly $5M bonus from Arizona.
Cunningham was considered among the top prep bats in the class, specifically for his hit tool and speed. The 19-year-old debuted following the draft, but played in just 11 games, so there’s nothing that can come from that sample. For what it’s worth, he did hit .255 with a stolen base, but had 15 strikeouts. Like Slade Caldwell, he had a called strike rate of over 22%, indicating a bit of passivity early on, but it’s far too soon to know how that plays out.
Cunningham has a similar build to Caldwell, standing just 5’10” and weighing around 180 lbs. He’s highly athletic, with outstanding speed, as evidenced by a 6.53 60-yard dash and a 1.59 10-yard split, according to PerfectGame. Physically, he’s likely to gain a little bulk, but not enough to be concerned about his long-term stolen base potential. He was also older than most of the preps in the 2025 class, but I don’t find that overly concerning.
I’m also not concerned about his size, especially as it relates to power. As a prep, he had an average EV of over 95 mph (yes, it’s a metal bat), but also showed lightning-quick bat speed. With his ability to find the barrel with higher than average bat speed, it’s not outside the range of outcomes for him to get to a 15+ homer output to pair with a good batting average and above-average steals. Cunningham should also hit near the top of the order, giving him ample opportunities for counting stats. The tools are there for Cunningham to be a top-100 prospect, which is precisely where I have him ranked.
The Flip Side – Matt Heckman
The consensus on Kayson Cunningham has been difficult to find. Some are very in on the Diamondbacks’ first-round pick from 2025. Martin is surely in that bunch. Then, you have the group that struggles to project what his long-term dynasty value will be. That is where I fall. Cunningham is a fine prospect, but in terms of dynasty value and FYPD evaluation, Cunningham is far from a can’t-miss guy. There are better options available in FYPDs and on dynasty waiver-wires that should garner more attention.
The best part of Cunningham’s projection is his hit tool. Throughout the draft process, scouts raved about Cunningham’s polish as a high school bat. That hit tool seemed to translate in a very small 11-game sample as Cunningham posted a 79.3% contact rate. Polish for a high school shortstop is a rare attribute and something that should be praised. However, if that is all Martin’s argument has, then this debate should be easy.
Being able to make contact is great. However, not all contact is equal. In watching film on Cunningham, his approach at the dish is still extremely raw. He struggles with pitch recognition and is susceptible to strong breaking pitches. The contact skills are great, but he is not prioritizing making contact on pitches that he can do damage on. That needs to change.
The counter-argument to that point is that he is still only 19 years old with 11 games of professional experience under his belt. Fair point. Cunningham’s approach is concerning, but not just due to his raw pitch recognition. Cunningham also sells out for contact. In order to make contact, Cunningham often loses the fluid connection between his arms and lower body.
This leads to weak contact and prevents much power projection. The limited power projection also stems from his frame. A bit undersized, Cunningham does not have much room to add muscle/raw power. While some adjustments to his swing can help him to tap into more pop, this still projects as a below-average tool.
The safest part of Cunningham’s game is likely his speed. However, that is closer to average than elite and has the potential to slow down as he continues to age. Cunningham’s hit tool is a tick above average, his speed is a tick above average, and his power is below average. He is a fine real-life prospect for Arizona, but lacks the elite tools or proximity to the Major Leagues to get dynasty managers excited.
Slade Caldwell– OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
The Pro-Caldwell Argument – Martin Sekulski
Caldwell is more of a ‘Matt guy’ by stature, standing 5’9″, although he’s a strong, physical kid weighing around 185 lbs. His frame is similar to another Diamondbacks outfielder, Corbin Carroll, so the organization has a type as well. The D’Backs took Caldwell in the first round in 2024 out of high school in Arkansas, but he did not debut until this season. Entering the pro ranks, the big carrying tool for fantasy was his speed, which drew a 70-grade rating from evaluators and is impactful in multiple aspects of his game.
His debut season was fairly standard, splitting time between two levels with 48 games in Class A, before moving to High-A for the final 66. Caldwell had a .260/.408/.369 slash line with 35 extra-base hits (3HR) and 25 steals, good for a 124 wRC+. A 17.6% walk rate aided his OBP, as he drew 91 walks in his age-19 season, ranking ninth among qualified hitters and third among teenagers. That should be a trend throughout his career, as he’s patient at the dish and really takes advantage of being undersized with a small zone.
His patience crosses the line of being too passive, swinging 33% of the time this season. When you look at his strikeout rate and see 26.7% for the season, you immediately think swing-and-miss. But in reality, it was a sub-7% swinging-strike rate with an overall contact rate of nearly 80%. His overly patient approach led to called strikes at nearly 23%, one of the highest in the minors.
Normally, I’d expect Matt to be concerned about the passivity, but he thinks Caldwell is ‘too aggressive,’ according to his Diamondbacks piece last month. Interesting. Now, I have my own concerns with Caldwell, specifically what power, if any, comes with the profile. His batted-ball data wasn’t great, and he had a ground-ball rate over 50%. But I’m not banking on the power because I know it’s not there.
What I do like is the high walk rates, the ability to hit for average, and the high probability of plus-or-better stolen-base output. That floor is high enough that I consider him a borderline top-100 fantasy asset. While Matt clearly disagrees, his end of 2025 rankings of similar profiles are of interest to me. Those include Franklin Arias at #46, Felnin Celesten at #48, Tre’ Morgan at #90, and Justin Crawford at #103.
None of those players is going to hit for much power, nor are any of them in the same stratosphere with their plate discipline. All of them have similar floors and more real-life value than fantasy. The only player he can justify having a higher upside is Crawford, whose contact skills were better against higher-level pitching, but ironically, he’s ranked him lowest. I’m firm in my belief that Caldwell is a top-100 player, maybe even top 50, based on Matt’s criteria.
The Flip Side – Matt Heckman
When Martin and I do this, we go through and share our prospect ranking lists with each other. Typically, at this point in the off-season, we have roughly 200 prospects ranked. The ones who land inside one of our top 100 on one list and are absent from another make an easy candidate for this article. That is exactly what we have with Caldwell.
The Diamondbacks’ first-round pick from 2024 got off to a fast start in 2025 before the wheels completely fell off. In 66 games at High-A, Caldwell hit just .238 without a single home run. Caldwell ranked down at 11th for me in Arizona’s top prospect list, and it is difficult to figure out what long-term fantasy value he is likely to provide.
Not everything in Caldwell’s profile is a negative. He was a first-round pick for a reason and finished his first professional season with a 124 wRC+. Considering he is only 19, that all sounds great. Martin is surely going to talk up Caldwell’s hit tool. His strong contact rates and excellent walk rates, paired with plus speed, should lead to a ton of stolen base attempts. That is all true in theory.
However, in 2025, we saw Caldwell post impressive OBP numbers, and he went just 25/35 on the bases. While he projects to be a 20ish steal player, he does not have elite, top-end speed. He is a good runner with a strong glove. However, his first professional season does not indicate that he is going to be a prolific base stealer.
If Caldwell is not going to be a prolific base stealer, he needs to be a strong contributor in other categories. While his contact skills are strong, Caldwell does not project to be an elite hitter. His downward plane swing resulted in a ground ball rate north of 50% last season. This combined with below average exit velocities suggests there is more risk to his hit tool than originally believed. Caldwell is not going to carry teams with elite batting averages.
Moving down the list, Caldwell is a near-zero in terms of power. He hit three home runs in Low-A before hitting zero over his final 353 plate appearances of 2025. Watching Caldwell swing, his approach does not suggest he is suddenly going to grow into more power, either. He does not lift the ball in the air, and does not pull the ball often at all.
The raw physical power is absent, and any alteration in his approach could dramatically impact his hit tool. At this point, we are looking at a peak projection of somewhere around a .270 batting average, five homers, and 25 stolen bases. His peak projection is something like Nico Hoerner with more walks and more ground balls. This is not a prospect archetype I am targeting in any of my leagues.
Jefferson Rojas– SS/2B, Chicago Cubs
The Pro-Rojas Argument – Matt Heckman
The fade of Jefferson Rojas down prospect lists is a perfect example of prospect fatigue setting in. For those active in the dynasty communities, Rojas feels like he has been around for years. Signed out of the Dominican Republic back in 2022, Rojas has worked his way slowly and steadily through the Cubs’ minor league system. Following a down 2024 season, Rojas put up strong numbers in his age-20 season. Rojas’ profile still oozes with potential, and overlooking him would be a mistake.
Martin’s primary argument is going to be potential without elite results. Rojas’ career-high in home runs is 11. He has also never stolen more than 21 bases in a season. In terms of long-term fantasy appeal, his upside seems capped. Looking at Rojas’ season-ending slash lines and watching him play are two completely different things. For Rojas, the potential takes a little bit more digging.
Following the 2023 season, Rojas adjusted his swing. These adjustments were designed to get more launch on the ball while continuing to tap into his good pull-side awareness. Unfortunately, 2024 did not go as planned, but the results in 2025 were extremely encouraging. Rojas continued to lift the ball in the air more while getting to his pull side.
His quick hands and smooth swing should produce more power. Martin is sure to point out Rojas’ struggles once moving to Double-A, but the Knoxville Smokies play in one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in all of Minor League Baseball. Do not take Rojas’ scoutline at face value.
That said, there are still some positives to take away from Rojas’ generic scout line. For starters, Rojas continued to post excellent contact rates. For the second consecutive season, this number remained above 80%. Rojas has also adjusted his approach to be more selective, leading to higher walk rates and more contact on driveable pitches. Rojas has a plus hit tool, good plate discipline, strong base-stealing abilities, and underrated power that should flourish in the coming seasons. Martin seems to have already thrown in the towel on Rojas. At just 20 years old, he is an underrated prospect buy in dynasty leagues.
The Flip Side – Martin Sekulski
Matt sure does have a prospect type: short guys with small builds. That was the case with Jakob Marsee, Roderick Arias, and Cooper Kinney, all guys that Matt has debated against me in previous editions. Rojas is no different, standing just 5’11” and 150 lbs, built like a high school sophomore, only he’s 20 and will be 21 early this season. The Cubs signed him as a 17-year-old in 2022, extending a $1M bonus to Rojas out of his native Dominican Republic. His first foray into pro ball was in the DSL in 2022, slashing .306/.391/.407 with a homer and 15 steals. To date, that was the best slash line of his career, as he finished with a sub-.800 OPS.
Rojas has been somewhat productive during his career, including an 11-homer, 19-steal season in 2025, splitting his time between High-A and Double-A. That 11-homer output was the first season he’s reached double digits in his career. It’s also worth noting that Rojas spent all of 2024 in High-A, so the first 67 games of 2025 were in his second stint at the level.
As expected, Rojas had a strong performance in year two, batting .278 with all 11 of his homers and 14 of his steals, producing a 145 wRC+. His struggles at Double-A were quite pronounced, however. He slashed .164/.279/.205 with no homers, five steals, and a 0.41 ISO in 39 games. His strikeout rate spiked to 19.8%, which I can live with, but there was nothing else in terms of production. Thirty-nine games are certainly a smaller sample, but my concerns were validated.
Offensively, the 20-year-old has middling skills. Rojas’ speed is a tick over average, which has produced several seasons with 15+ steals but hasn’t been elite by any standard. His contact skills are generally fine, averaging nearly 80% overall, but nothing exceptional in terms of batting average, as he’s a .254 career hitter. Improved plate discipline led to more walks in 2025, but even with a 12.3% walk rate, his OBP was below .350 because he doesn’t hit for average.
Part of the problem there is that Rojas has an infield fly-ball rate consistently over 20%, which is a big red flag. I’m also not enthusiastic about his long-term power potential. Don’t let an 11-homer season fool you; it was round two at the level, and his batted-ball data was barely at the MLB average. His average EV was just under 89mph, with a 90th percentile of 103.3mph in 2025. Rojas is a nice player who could provide some excellent real-life value, but in fantasy, he’s quite far from being a top-100 guy.